Pale Rider
by Dean W
Summary: An AU where Max never met Alec back at Manticore and Alec was raised diffrently. warning Dark Alec.
1. Enter Detective McDowel

AN: this is an AU Alec never met Max and the breeding program never happened. Alec also was raised differently from all the other manticore children.

Disclaimer: I don't own dark angel or for whom the bell tolls by Metallica.

It was another cold and dark Seattle night, the winds billowed as men marched screaming for the blood of the transgenic monsters. While many where walking the streets in a little dark alley to the side five men with steel sticking out of various parts of the body stood over the quivering body of a gagged young women her red hair slowing around her head as she tried to stay away from these men while trying to break the handcuffs that held her wrists behind her back. She wasn't a particularly unique women but she was beautiful with red hair and shining blue eyes. Her body was petite showing ample curves. The truly unique part of this woman was the bar code that was tattooed across the back of her neck marking her as a transgenic. While the men's eyes where all glued to her lust showing in their eyes making their intentions known to everyone, her eyes flowed to the only other body in the alley. A young dark haired male, hanging from a street lamp, blood pooling under his feet, from the bullet holes that crisscrossed his body, blood dripped from the indent in his head where one of the men had smashed his metal covered arm into it. But the most prominent and grievous wound was on his chest, where the word transgenic was carved into him, the only saving grace for this man was that he was dead.

The five men stood at different heights the first and closest to her was about five foot two with piercings through eyelids and ears as well as a chain wrapped around his arm. The next was just a little bit taller with one eye pierced but his ears where covered in piercings as well as two tattoos on his arm brass knuckles sitting across his fingers, the other two were much the same with only minor differences. But the fifth one the leader was different he was decorated in more piercings then most had ever seen, tattoos covering almost every inch of his body, both of his legs and arms had where covered by metal hardware that made it so he could run faster jump higher and hit harder than any human. Which is how they had managed to best the two super human solders who had been out of Manticore for nearly a year now, and their instincts in poor disarray, a dark, sadistic grin came to the leaders face as he looked at the other four men.

"Well boys have at it, but no one releases inside her. We don't want to plague ourselves with this filth." The leader says smiling as his men began to move towards tonight's play thing.

"Thanks boss, who wants where on this bitch." Said the smallest as he began to rip the woman's blouse open, exposing her black silk bra to the world as the steel heads eyes glared at her lust shining through while she tried to beg through her gag tears streaming from her eyes trying to get them to stop. It wasn't till they started to remove her skirt that the silence of the night was broken by the sounds of bells, followed by an electric guitar.

"What the hell is that?"Asked the middle steelhead.

"Sounds like an old song hey boss isn't this the song that was playing at your brothers funeral?" asked the shortest one.

"Yes for whom the bell tolls." Said the leader.

The song resounded throughout the alley way as the five men heard the song of handcuffs breaking, they spun towards the sound expecting to see the women up and ready to fight, but instead she sat there stunned as she looked at her now free wrists. It took minutes for them to notice the other person now standing in the alley. A tall man head resting against his chest his arms crossed over his chest, and feet set wide, though most wouldn't recognize it this man was set and ready to fight. His clothes were unlike what you'd expect to see, clothed in black combat boots resting under a set of black jeans, with two gun holsters, one strapped to each thigh. A black 9mm sat in one while in the other rested a sawed off double barrel shotgun. The belt was black with a red buckle that had an image of the grim reaper on it. His shirt was grey nothing exceedingly unique about it unless you got close enough to see the word death imprinted right over the heart, his final piece of clothing being a midnight black jacket, with two large images of scythes crossing over the back. Nothing and everything about this man screamed danger.

"What we got here some hero wannabe." Scoffed the leader, as all the rest of his men began to snicker while pulling out their weapons.

"leave." Flowed from his mouth the voice strong and firm as he finally opened his eyes turning to look at the women. "I said leave women, now go." He said voice powerful and commanding. In the next second the women was up and running for the exit of the alley way buttoning up her shirt as she went words of thanks flying from her mouth as she ran.

"Hey freak that was a little bitch now whose going to replace her. Maybe we'll just kill you and then go find some other bitch to have fun with. Oh I get it your one of them freaks to aren't ya." The leader smiled as he began advancing only to stop the instant that the stranger's eyes locked on him, ice cold calculating green eyes flecked with so much gold that at that moment they glowed an ominous gold.

"Yes and no" said the man his voice now echoing through the alley a dark haunting voice that the men will hear in their nightmares for the rest of their lives. "Yes I'm a transgenic but I'm different, made different and raised different." As the short steelhead began to open his mouth the transgenic hand flew to his gun and as the song ended four shot rang out connecting through the knees of two of the steelheads, as well as the shoulders of two others. During the seconds that the other four steel heads where being shot the leader went to the side and flung himself at the stranger, fist flying into a hit that would probably kill the man. But at the last second, the stranger turned and grabbed the leaders punch a small sinister smirk splitting his face. Before he clenched his hand crushing the leaders robotic augmentations into his skin before also crushing the man's hand until bone and metal where one, and bloody pieces where sticking out of the man's flesh.

"Y-y-you're a monster aren't you." Said the leader as he gained control over his screams, blood dripping from his now useless hand, he fought to keep the scream that was ripping at his throat down as he watched the man pull a knife from the sheath on his back.

"No I'm not a monster you are, me I've been told that I'm death. Now that the introductions are out of the way, you want to know what I'm going to do with my knife; I've seen you staring at it. See I'm going to make sure that everyone knows what you did for the rest of your life." The man that Identified himself as death said. Before bringing his knife up and making two quick cuts into the man's face before walking over to the other four and repeating the process, leaving five identical inverted crosses on their face. "Now everyone will know the sin that you committed. No man can kill for free." Death said as he disappeared into the night leaving five men who passed out from the excessive amount of pain that their bodies had been put through.

The next day was one of the first sunny days that Seattle had seen in years as a large group of people swirled around the alley where five steelheads where being removed and placed into ambulances before a body bag was carried out the paramedics muttering about a transgenic being dead. As five sector police walked into the alley.

"This is the fifth time this week, every time somebody goes and kills a freak the next day where carrying out people all muttering about death. And now the feds are sending down some freaking detective. What's next's." Muttered one of the sector police.

"Shut up Walter, this detective probably won't know jack shit so the two of us brick wall him and then he leaves without fucking anything up for us." Said the other sector police office.

"Good idea john." Walter grinned.

"That'd be a great idea if you where working with someone who was near your level of intelligence me on the other hand well let's just say if you're going to get it the way of my investigation then pack your dumb inbred asses up and leave." Came a dark clearly irritated voice from behind the two sector police, who spun to face the voice only to find a young man who couldn't be older than twenty standing behind them. The strangers clothes where what they first noticed as he stood in a black suit, with a black tie, the perfectly straight not a piece out of place the only flaw was his belt buckle instead of the FBI standard buckle he had a red buckle with an image of the grim reaper on it. Both sector police if asked would admit that the man was attractive his short cut dirty blond hair, and green eyes with small flecks of gold in them, covered by a thin pair of glasses. "I'm special agent Alec McDowell, and I don't give a fuck who you are I want to know what happened here and then I want you to gone." Said Alec before walking into the alley, the two sector police following behind him.

"well as I'm sure you know agent many people have been taking the transgenic threat into their own hands and five times this past week when someone has killed one of the beasts someone has come and beat the people always leaving behind an inverted cross on the cheek marking them as the men who have killed a transgenic." Said john as he look at the back of the young man.

"I see, I want all the data on all the assaults sent to my motel room immediately I'm going to go read over them and then I will get back to you in the morning." Said Alec as he turned and began walking out of the alley.

"And what do you want us to do special agent." Asked Walter a glare fixed on the young man.

"truthfully I don't give a shit what you do, go eat more donuts, or scam some poor broads, hell go fuck each other for all I care, just stay the hell out of my way." With that Alec walked over and climbed into his red 64 mustang. Burn it to the ground floating from the speakers as the car was started and drove off a small smile on Alec's face. "Only a little longer and then I can stop, then I can be done."


	2. Memorys and questions

AN: I'd like to thank everyone who has Reviewed, that's really cool and your reviews were great so thank you and to those who did story alert thank you so much that's awesome because this is my first story that I'm posting that hasn't been picked at to the point that I remove it so thanks again. OK on with the story. This start shortly after Alec gets to the motel.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark angel or any songs I use if I did Logan probably would have gotten his ass kicked.

The spray of the shower was cold, but that didn't matter to Alec all he cared about was trying to scrub the sweat off his body. He sighed when he finally stepped out of the shower into the cool motel air. He didn't even really dry off, all he did was sling that blue towel that he brought with him everywhere low on his hips before walking out into his living room. His eyes glanced at the scattered police reports that he didn't even need to read because he had all the face, every detail down to how their bones sounded when they crippled and shatter under his fingers imprinted into his memories, but he still had to make it look official so he had them open and scattered. He groaned as the memories forced their way to the front of his mind sickening images that could make anyone vomit but not him he barely batted an eyelash as he walked into his kitchen and grabbed the bottle of scotch that he had procured from some wealthy prick that had way too many computer, and a penchant for wine. The scotch burned as it made its way down his throat easily letting him began to relax. With a heavy sigh he fell onto his bed planning at least three hours sleep tonight because even someone made in a test tube and trained the majority of his life needs more than two hours of sleep a night.

It was two and a half hours later when he shot up from his latest nightmare, sweat running down his forehead as the alarm on his phone went of playing Metallica's King nothing.

"Time to go to work hunny." He said a small smile decorating his face as he let his towel drop to the floor before sliding on his black outfit. The final piece being the small military issue knife that sat in a special holder on the back of his belt, before quietly walking out his front door and blurring three blocks down to a small and well hidden garage that when opened revealed a pale grey Yamaha YZF R1 le. A small grin tugged at his face as he looked at his bike with pride.

"Come on sweetheart let's go save some innocents and beat the crap out of some bad guys." He smirked straddling his motorcycle before tearing off down the high way his black jacket slightly billowing behind as he drove towards the rundown part of Seattle near Terminal city which the Transgenic had recently turned into their own little city. He stopped his motorcycle three blocks away from where the main congregation of natural rights activists stood hoping to catch a transgenic outside the city. With the grace and precision of the predator that he was made to be he stalked into the alley before easily climbing onto the nearest roof to begin his nightly patrol of the area. He had been prowling for barely fifteen minutes when he noticed the women from the other night looking around trying to spot somebody. He figured that she was probably just trying to make sure that no one was going to get the jump on her again when he heard her small slightly scared voice penetrate the air.

"Um hello mister hero guy from yesterday are you here? Please if you are I just want to talk to you." She said still look around hoping to catch a glimpse of him. A slight growl escaped Alec's throat as he had to decide whether to go talk to this idiotic women or continue patrolling. It only took a second for him to flip around and land right behind the red haired transgenic in a crotch. She turned at the sound noticing the hunched figure in all black with the two scythes crossing on his back until he slowly started to rise, dark and powerful instilling terror into this women who was beginning to rethink her decision as she looked into the cold gold eyes of the man before her.

"Are you a fool women? What if I hadn't been the one to find you, that if it was another group of steelheads?" He asked his voice echoing powerfully in the alley.

"I'm sorry I just wanted to talk to you." She said a slight tremor running through her voice. "My name is Jondy, and I just wanted to thank you for saving me last night. I know it's not much but I have a bar in terminal city where you will always get free drinks. So who are you?" she asked eyes now boring into his trying to find every secret that they might hide.

"I don't share my name, and I can't live in terminal city." He said as he turned away from Jondy. "But if you must call me something, then know that many have called me Death." And with that he walked away leaving a stunned women, who finally realized what she had just met. And watched as he jumped and swung himself back onto the roof almost as though he was never there.

The talk left him angry as it reminded him of Manticore and all that they put him through. The night slowly disappeared around him as he traveled into a memory. He was six years old while all the other children where in units and had something like a family X5-494 was alone in his small cell like room looking at all the different guns that he was being forced to disassemble and reassemble until he could do it in less than a second. His handler standing over him watching as the young boy tried to do that _**exhaustion**_ finally starting to claim him after the 72 hour that he had been up trying to do this. His hand slipped as a yawn overtook him causing him to accidently drop a small screw. The instate that screw hit the floor his handler was upon him jamming his taser rod into the boy back sending hundreds of volts of electricity coursing through the boy, and forcing his body to the floor where the man began to kick at the boy a resounding crack being heard as the boys ribs cracked after the forth kick. but when the man swung his leg in for the fifth he was surprised to feel the boys small hand grasp his ankle and twist forcing his foot 260 degrees around and breaking the joint in the ankle, and forcing the man to the ground.

"Boy what the hell do you think you're doing? Let go of me n" the guard began only to stop as he noticed the boys typically green eyes with flecks of gold now glowing a pure gold, as a dark animalistic grin came to the boys face. And only one word escaped the boy's lips.

"Die." And with that the boy attacked slowly working his way up the bone structure breaking bones and slowly and deliberately, but as the sounds of booted footsteps reached his ears 494 looked at the man and without a second's hesitation wrapped his small hand around the man's throat before easily crushing his wind pipes.

When the solders finally reached the room the man was dead and 494 was once again working on with his gun his eyes slowly returning to the green color. It was that day that they all found out that 494 was not only trained different but he was created differently as well, in certain situations his animalist instincts could take on a much more potent state. The only sign being his golden eyes, three days later a guard called him death and that name was soon revered throughout the halls of Manticore.

Fifteen years later and that name still followed him now though he used it to his advantage, but the trip down memory lane left him aggravated and wanting nothing more than to find his next victim. It didn't take long for his hopes to be realized as he noticed a very pregnant transgenic and her young blond bodyguard cornered by a small band of men in tan trench coats.

"What's this old west I thought those things went out years ago. Well I guess some people never learn." And with that he lunged flying from the top of the building his knee coming into contact with the largest mans neck a sickening crack following the hit as the man fell to the ground paralyzed. "Now boys it's now nice to gang up on little kids." Alec said a small smirk on his face as he made sure to remain in the shadows.

"well this isn't just some brat it's filth and it needs to be taken care of so fuck off you scum fucking bastard." In that instant Alec remembered the women that he was designed to marry and hearing this bastard call her scum sent Alecs rage over the edge. And in a voice that hasn't broken his lips in years Alec spoke, but one word.

"Die" and with that he pulled his black 9mm pistol and began shooting every round punching a hole into these men's heads, each shot clean between the eyes. All of them where dead before they even hit the ground. As the last man fell Alec was gone. All that was seen was the tail light of a pale grey motorcycle.

The police station was in a frenzy as the three woman walked in the first a tall blond women that was obliviously pregnant and carrying a small purse, the next an African American women with curly brown hair that had a pronounced bounce to it. And the third a beautiful petite women with strait dark brown almost black hair. With a smile the blond one moved as fast a she could over to where her husband officer Walter stood looking furiously at the documents on his desk.

"You know that Fucken detectives going to have a field day with this." Walter grumbled as he looked at john.

"Well no fuck when he finds out we hired some fucken thugs to try and kill that fucker he'll have our fucken heads on a stick." John growled as he looked at the information again.

"Well maybe he won't find out I'm he's not omnipresent or anything." Walter said a slight hope in his voice.

"Ya and maybe your wife's hot friends will get on their knees and blow me. Of course he's going to find out." John bit out as the blond finally reached them.

"Hi hunny how's your day going so far?" the blond ask Walter as she leaned up to kiss him.

"Truthfully Kendra shitty. That fucken detective will be here soon and if he knows about what happened he's going to put our asses in a sling." Walter grumbled out as he looked at the front door when said detective walked through his face hidden by the file that he was reading.

"I'll go talk to him, no one makes my hunny baby sad." And with that Kendra marched over to the detective his back bent as he set the stack of files he had down on the desk in his temporary office. "Excuse me but are you the detective in charge of this case because you've been running my husband ragged and truthfully I think that your just a spoiled little boy." Shortly after she said that the man stood his posture perfect as he rubbed the bridge of his nose before turning to the women a file open and in his hands.

"Officer Walter no first name ever entered. Sketchy work recorded at best known to have taken money from squatters to instead of performing his job properly, marred to one Kendra Walters. Once a squatter who Walter took money from so that she and her roommate a max Guevara could remain in their home. Shortly after marriage Miss Guevara gained a new roommate a Miss Cynthia McEachin. I have files on all of you so please don't take me for a fool." And with that Alec locked eyes with all three women quickly taking in the appearance of the first two but the third one stopped him and he stared at her taking in her long dark hair, and deep brown eyes, the way her lips curved almost teasing of a smile that he'd probably never get and in that instant his mind stopped and tried to process where he'd seen her before. "Listen Walter, John if you two would get me the files for this case you can take the rest of the day off in fact unless you need to be out on patrol everyone has the rest of today off." And with that final statement Alec turned and started to walk away until he heard Walter.

"Listen to him trying to act all high and mighty because he blew his way to the top." In that instant Alec growled and spun his green eye locking and burning into Walter.

"You think I didn't earn my way to where I am. You want to how I made it? My fucken mother left right after I was born. I was stuck with my fucken father who day in and day out it was training by the time I was six I could take apart any gun that was placed in front of me, when I was sixteen I found out I had a brother and I had to watch him die, I swear to find the fuckers who did it so I joined the police and the got a recommendation into the FBI on my seventeenth case I found the man who killed my brother it was my fucken father and guess what I had to put a bullet in his fucken head. So don't fucken think I didn't earn my way here and you fuckers can call me a heartless bastard because you know what I earned my way here." With that Alec walked into his office and left a stunned crowd outside.

"Poor guy." Said the long dark haired girl who was still stunned at the similarities between the Detective and her deceased brother Ben.

"True dat boo, true dat." Came the quiet almost sad reply of the African American women.


	3. Terminal City

AN: This chapter is mostly Max centric. Alec will come in towards the end. And I'd like to thank Mythstar black dragon and AlecDeanfan. And all who have added me to their story alerts.

Sorry it took so long to update. My laptop was having some problems.

Disclaimer: Same as the past two.

The clouds where breaking as Max trudged her way through the sewers and into the sun that was just beginning to shine down on the ruined city. The weather was humid with moisture floating in the air as Max began her trek to the command center that had so easily become her second home. Wondering what new tasks she'd have to conquer today only to stop short when she noticed the large crowd of transgenic and transhumans alike. As she walked towards the crowd she finally heard the voice in the middle and instantly recognized it as Dalton a young X6 who had escorted a very pregnant Gem all the way to terminal city.

"It was amazing; the guy just appeared out of the sky like in those old Superhero cartoons. And he just toyed with the Familiars at first, but then one of them said something to him, that pissed him off. You should have heard it the guy just muttered die but it was so deep and dark. Then he just shot them all, it was amazing." The young X6 exclaimed excitedly. Small chuckling followed the enthusiastic boy's speech. A small smile crossed Maxes face as she turned to finish her trek to the command center. Her progress was stopped once again when she noticed a very pale and slightly terrified looking Jondy walking through the secret entrance. Max rushed to her friend's side terrified that something might have happened to jondy only to become more worried when she noticed the strange smile on Jondy's face.

"Jondy are you ok, what happened?" Max asked fear seeping into her voice as she did. Now max expected any number of responsive, but the answer that she got wasn't one of them.

"We're saved, he's free we're all saved." Jondy said with a small hint of desperation leaking into her voice.

"What Jondy, who's free, what's going on?" Max beseeched while looking at Jondy hopeing that her friend wasn't going through a mental Break down.

"That's what I'd like to know as well." Came the gruff voice of Mole as he spoke around his always present cigar.

"The man with the gold eyes, the reason that Daltons still alive, who made sure that my unit could escape. Death is free, death is here protecting us." Jondy exclaimed her Voice holding a strong tone to it. Before Max could ask the question that was ripping at her throat. A booming laugh came from the lizard like man behind her.

"Well I'll be damned, If she's telling the truth then we are saved. This is great he's out and he's here." Mole laughed while he looked at the others a smile decorating his face. Max couldn't take much more so with a heavy sigh Max grabbed Moles arm and forcefully drug him into her office at the command center this time nothing stopped her, but she did notice the smiles that were decorating everybody's faces as she passed and couldn't help but wonder what was so great. Max threw a hard glare at Dix as he started towards her with a daily report, But after seeing her glare Dix quickly turned and fled. After dragging a grumbling Mole into her office, Max walked behind her desk and spun, a glare decorating her face as she looked at moles smug but oddly happy face.

"You want to explain to me why everyone is so happy about this Death character?" Max asked looking at the transhuman.

"That's right Death didn't really come to be known well until after your unit escaped. Hell Jondy probably wouldn't have known if she hadn't been caught. Well let's see where do we begin, I know. When you transgenic's where binging created the leaders pressured the creator to make one differently they wanted a perfect killing machine. The creator had no choice but to agree, and so Death was created. During the first years of his life Death was treated differently than the rest of you, and by that I mean the while most of you where running around in groups Death was alone, Training. At the age of six he preformed his first kill. The leaders were impressed and gave him more security clearance, that was their first big fuck up, cause he began looking through the data base and found out that we all had significant others created for us. He found out who she was and proceeded to begin watching over her. But he also found out that he had a clone. Both were in the same unit so he was able to study them both at the same time. He found out that their unit believed in what they called the blue lady." At this Max gasped knowing the Unit that Mole was talking about. "Yes it was your unit. So when he found out about your plans he decided to help you escape. Shortly after your group had jumped out the window Death made his move. He killed the first unit that was coming after you before returning to his cell knowing that you'd be able to escape. Unfortunately they knew that he help you all escape, so he was sent to Psyops and underwent heavy torture, before binging thrown into the pit. That's where I first met him and we began to talk I found out all about him and his twin. Two years ago his twin came back still alive but injured. Apparently his twin couldn't handle the Killing instinct encoded into him so he began murdering people. Deaths twin X5-493 gave the original his name oddly though Death was given a strange barcode. You see Death was the original and 493 was the clone but Deaths barcode stated him as X5-494. That's all I know." With that said Mole turned to leave but right before he opened the door Maxes voice caught him.

"Who was the one that he was supposedly made for?"Max asked a slight tremor in her voice.

"X5-452, also named Max Guevara" Mole said a slight laugh in his voice.

With that said Mole turned and left a stunned Max sitting at her desk trying and failing to understand everything that had just been told to her.

Hours later as the moon shone down on Terminal city a figure stood on top of the tallest building in the city looking down, his golden eyes shining in the night following the movements of Terminal city's leader heading towards her department building.

"I promise that I'll protect you Max, you and everyone else." With that said the figure disappeared into the night leaving no trace almost as though he was never there.


End file.
